Monday, June 26, 2006

Lizard Tales

The reptiles are out in force. This morning a lizard was poised near the front door of the basement, next to a retaining wall. He was unusually light in color, with a pale reddish body and greenish tint to his head. He moved towards the wall, and started climbing straight up it. After a few steps he lost his hold and fell backwards, squirming on his back for a few seconds. But he flipped over and went back at it and the next try made it all the way up.

When he got to the top Pops said to be quiet and listen to hear if the lizard said anything. I looked at him skeptically, and he stared back and assured me that lizards are powerful creatures—the legend goes if you can get a lizard to sit on your shoulder it might speak to you. We listened. It cocked its head at us and scuttled away.

A little later I heard a shout from outside. Pops was in the driveway holding a tangle of rope with a lizard on it.

“I’m going to try and get him onto my shoulder,” he said. I ducked into the house for the camera, thinking it would be great to be able to document the big discussion between species. Maybe I should have been looking for the tape recorder. But when I came back the lizard was gone, and the tangle of rope hung limply in his hands.